Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Everyday Black Matters

Home
Progressive Christian
Why is the “sh*t people say” meme so popular? My BEST of…

Why is the “sh*t people say” meme so popular? My BEST of…

Last updated on: January 21, 2012 at 9:22 am by Grace Sandra

Why is the “sh*t people say” meme so popular? My BEST of… 2012-01-21T09:22:53-04:00 Grace Sandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There’s a WAY popular meme going around YouTube these days that starts with “sh*t people say…” and ends with just about any combination of human interaction possible.

It started with men who made the HILARIOUS sh*t girls say, but quickly evolved into “sh*it…

…fat people say,

…sh*t single girls say,

…sh*t Jews say to Christians / Christians say to Jews

…sh*t people say on facebook

…sh*t people in Seattle say when it rains

…sh*t straight people say to gay guys

…sh*t people say to feminists (red-heads, Russians, Native Americans, hijabi’s etc.)

…sh*t girls say on their period.

…sh*t hood n*gga’s say

…sh*t successful white business men say.

…sh*t Jamaican Grandma’s (spanish girls, black girls, white girls) say.

You get the point. There is “sh*t people say” uploaded on YouTube for every scenario in life. There’s even a “sh*t people say while watching sh*it people say videos”, video. So. Why are these videos so wildly popular? Why have they generated millions of hits over the last few months? I confess, I have watched many of them while giggling with absolute delight.

I believe there are good and bad reasons why following this meme is so doggone fun. In defense of the vid’s, they allow lots of folks who often feel misrepresented to have a voice and a compelling voice at that. For example, sh*t white girls say to black girls has become the video, laced with grace and humor that gives black women a mutual camaraderie. We all –really have– had some white girl ask to touch our hair elleventy-billion times. The videos give a place to laugh and enjoy those shared experiences even if they all aren’t positive. Or, the sh*t black people think white people say is another great example of whites who feel constantly stereotyped by blacks. The good reasons the videos thrive is that they tell the truth, like it or not. The reason why I can laugh at even the ones making fun of me (i.e. sh*t black girls say) is because I identify! I DO say a lot of that crazy, well, sh*t.

The negatives to the popular meme is that there is no quicker way to persist a racist, ageist or religious stereotype. And it’s never been so easy to be plain old mean. However, the collective YouTube community of the world often “votes” with their eyes. If a video isn’t laced with enough truth it doesn’t get hits…or it gets the dreaded dislike button.

Many have asked if the videos are racist, especially ones that have garnered the most attention surrounding the black people/white people racial dynamics. I lean towards no, they are not racist. If someone is saying truth, no matter how it’s packaged, it’s still true. It may not be the wisest way to discuss said truth, but I don’t think the point of the video’s is to combat racism. It’s pretty clear, they are made to entertain. In that sense, we all walk a fine line of being entertained by something that could be hurtful to others, though this is no different than reading a book by or watching a movie surrounding these same issues. I think the key here is applying critical thinking to each video. Ask the question: what is the message this video is trying to tell me about…black girls…white girls…etc.

Have you watched any of the sh*t people say vid’s? What do you think can be helpful or not helpful about this new cultural trend?

Here are 4 of my absolute favorite sh*t people say vids: Funny & full of truth, even if it’s hard truth…

1. Sh*t people say to breastfeeding mom’s (So true. If youv’e ever been a breast-feeder you identify)!

2. Sh*t white girls say to black girls. (So funny, so true. I love my white friends though, just in case your wondering! =)

3. Sh*t natural hair women say (black girls joking about the things we say about our hair. Funny. True!)

4. Sh*t black people think white people say. (TOTALLY guilty) I love this one, especially b/c it pokes fun at some of the ways blacks stereotype whites…and I won’t speak for others, but it’s true of me. Just ask my white husband.

So. What do you think?

Previous Post

January 19, 2012

you can't tame this sexy beast

Next Post

January 25, 2012 Screw 2012, I'm getting healthy for 2021

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abuse Survivor African Americans Black Campus Ministries Blogging Books Celebrities Depression Detroit Divorce Dreams entrepreneurialista Family Fashion Fashion & Hair Fashion Finds Fashion Tips Fitness & Body Love For You Girly-Girl Giveaways! Goal Setting Hair Adventures Home Human Trafficking Humor & Fun InterVarsity iphone Apps iphoneography Leadership Marriage Memoir Mentoring Movies Music My Faith My Life My Pregnant Life My Weight Watcher's Journey Netizen One Word Opinion Parenting Photography Policy Politics Pop Culture Product Reviews Race & Ethnicity Racism Ransom Rhys Second Marriage Self Leadership Social Justice Social Media Spiritual Disciplines T.V. Uncategorized Western Theological Seminary What I Wore What I Wore Wednesday Writing Writing Tips

Select a Month May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 April 2016 March 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 July 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz